Transport Woes...

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Train disruption on EWL to last several more days; SMRT aims to restore services on Sept 30​

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Passengers queueing for bridging bus services near Buona Vista MRT station at 7.30pm on Sept 26. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Kenneth Cheng
Assistant News Editor

Sep 28, 2024

SINGAPORE – The disruption of train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations on the East-West Line will last several more days, with rail operator SMRT aiming to restore services fully on Sept 30.
SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) had said earlier on Sept 26 that they aimed to partially restore services on Sept 27 by running a shuttle train service that would go up and down the affected four-station stretch every 20 minutes.
Shelving this plan late on Sept 26, LTA and SMRT said they had tried their best to make the shuttle service option work by speeding up repairs on one of the tracks.
“We have since determined that it can be done, but it would mean slowing down the repairs on the parallel damaged rail, as repairs cannot be done when the shuttle train service is in operation,” they said.
On balance, it is “better to prioritise repair and expedite restoring full service earlier”, rather than run the shuttle service, they added. “SMRT is aiming to restore full service on Monday (Sept 30), and running the shuttle train could risk delaying full restoration by at least a few days.”

LTA had earlier told The Straits Times that it is difficult to say exactly when services can resume fully due to the extensive work and unpredictable weather. It added that there is also limited space to work on the rail viaducts, even as more people are deployed on-site.
On Sept 25, a faulty train that was withdrawn from service and on its way back to a depot had caused extensive damage to tracks and trackside equipment near Clementi and Dover stations.

Singapore’s second-longest rail disruption affected about 874,000 passengers over two days – some 358,000 passengers on Sept 25, and an estimated 516,000 on Sept 26.
It was triggered by a first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries train. The eastbound train encountered a fault near Clementi station at about 9am on Sept 25 and all passengers disembarked at that station.
SMRT withdrew the train from service by turning it around onto the westbound track.

A defective component of the train’s wheel set, known as an axle box, dropped onto the tracks near Dover station while the train was returning to Ulu Pandan Depot, which is between Clementi and Jurong East stations.
The axle box was on the third carriage of the six-carriage train, which has been in service for more than 35 years.
This caused the wheels of one of the carriage’s two bogies to come off the rail on which trains run. A bogie is a structure below the carriage with two sets of wheels and each wheel set has two axle boxes attached to it.

This is the first time such an incident has happened on SMRT’s trains.
With one bogie derailed, the train severely damaged the tracks and equipment on the tracks as it was being taken to the depot.
The damage it wrought caused a power trip at about 9.25am, stalling other trains and crippling services across nine stations between Boon Lay and Queenstown.
One train that stalled near Clementi station was carrying about 850 passengers, who had to disembark on the tracks and were guided back to the station platform.

Passengers who were on a train near Clementi MRT station had to disembark on the tracks and were guided back to the station platform. PHOTO: SMRT/FACEBOOK
Engineers later found 34 rail breaks, such as cracks or chips, along 1.6km of tracks between Clementi and Dover stations after overnight checks. The train also damaged three point machines that are used to divert trains to different tracks, stretches of the third rail on the eastbound track that supplies power to trains, as well as power cables and rail fasteners.
The third rail serving the track into Ulu Pandan Depot is linked to the same power supply that serves the third rail on the eastbound track. Hence, when the defective train damaged the third rail while entering the depot, it also tripped the power supply to the eastbound track.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said late on Sept 26 that more than 300 engineers and technicians from LTA and SMRT have been working day and night to carry out repairs and checks on the damaged tracks and equipment.
“As the damage is very extensive, they have to do this carefully, and it requires a lot of time,” he added during a visit to the tracks leading to Ulu Pandan Depot.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat (centre) visiting the tracks leading to Ulu Pandan Depot late on Sept 26. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
The minister thanked the workers involved for their hard work and dedication, as well as commuters for their understanding and patience and for showing concern for the rail staff.
In an earlier video message posted on Facebook on Sept 26, Mr Chee said: “I would like to offer my sincere apologies to all our commuters for the disruption. Our workers are doing their best to safely restore train services as soon as possible.”

LTA and SMRT said that SMRT’s engineers and technicians have been working continuously since Sept 25 to restore and replace the damaged tracks and equipment. The faulty train has also been towed back to the depot.
SMRT will continue to operate shuttle train services between Buona Vista and Queenstown stations, and between Jurong East and Boon Lay stations.

About 80 double-decker buses have also been deployed to provide free bridging services for affected passengers between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations.
In addition, 620 ground staff from LTA, SMRT, transport operators SBS Transit and Tower Transit as well as police officers managed the crowds during the morning peak period on Sept 26.
LTA and SMRT also carried out functionality checks on the axle boxes of all Kawasaki trains before these were put in service, and all passed the checks.

This is the third rail disruption in nine days.
On Sept 17, a power fault disrupted services across the entire Circle Line (CCL), which SMRT also runs. The next day, a power trip disrupted the power supply to the entire 35km CCL after a fire broke out at a rail depot.
The longest train disruption on record is the stoppage of train services between Joo Koon and Tuas Link stations from Nov 16 to Nov 20 in 2017, after a software glitch in the signalling system resulted in two trains colliding at Joo Koon.
The suspension of train services between Joo Koon and Gul Circle stations was later extended till mid-2018, when the East-West Line switched to a new signalling system.

 

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Maintenance protocol breached during Sept 17 Circle Line disruption: SMRT​

SMRT said that the disruption was first caused by a circuit breaker in the Traction Safety Shutdown System on the Circle Line that tripped. PHOTO: SMRT/FACEBOOK

Lee Nian Tjoe
Senior Transport Correspondent

Sep 27, 2024

SINGAPORE – The power fault that prolonged the disruption of the entire Circle Line (CCL) service on Sept 17 was caused by a maintenance team that did not get clearance to replace a circuit breaker during service hours, said rail operator SMRT.
In a Facebook post on Sept 26, SMRT said that the disruption was first caused by a circuit breaker in the Traction Safety Shutdown System (TSSS) on the CCL that tripped.
It took longer than normal to resume operations that evening because SMRT’s maintenance team triggered a power trip on a second circuit breaker in the system when it wanted to replace the main circuit breaker.
The team had wanted to replace the main circuit breaker to prevent the fault from happening again and affecting the work of withdrawing the trains to the depot later that day.
However, the team did not have the necessary permission to perform the needed corrective maintenance work during service hours, according to SMRT. This was a breach of the operator’s standard protocol.
The incident caused the operator to spend additional time to ensure that there were no further technical issues before resuming normal train services.
“For the safety of our commuters, the Operations Control Centre had to account for all trains before normal services could resume. Learning from previous incidents, we activated diversion plans and advised commuters to continue their journeys using other MRT lines or buses,” SMRT said in its social media post.

During the disruption, a technical glitch caused the public announcement (PA) system to be down for 12 minutes. The PA system informs travellers of the alternative MRT lines or buses available during a service disruption.
In the Facebook post, SMRT also provided an update on the CCL disruption that happened on Sept 18. It said that the root cause of the fire that started in a TSSS cubicle at Kim Chuan Depot is still under investigation.
The fire was detected at about 8pm, SMRT added. This, in turn, triggered the Global Emergency Shutdown (GES) system, which is a built-in safety feature, to automatically shut down the entire line.

SMRT is working with the Land Transport Authority to review the overall design of the TSSS and GES systems involved in the back-to-back disruptions on the CCL.
In addition, the CCL’s signalling and public address systems will also be enhanced, SMRT said. The signalling system is used to direct rail traffic and ensure that trains maintain a safe distance from one another.
“System improvements will be made, including enhancements to Circle Line’s signalling and PA systems, as well as fail-safe and new fail-soft features. Procurement for a replacement TSSS cubicle, with enhanced features, is being expedited,” the post said.

The Straits Times has contacted the operator to get more details about the areas under review and planned improvements.
The CCL was the least reliable among five MRT lines in the 12 months ending March 2024. It is also the only one that posted a dip in performance.
The Thomson-East Coast Line, which has not fully opened, is not included in this measure.
On Oct 14, 2020, the disruption of train services on the North-South, East-West and Circle lines for more than three hours was partly exacerbated by SMRT staff.
A circuit breaker failure caused a secondary protection system to trip, cutting off power supply from the Tuas Depot substation. This affected stations on the North-South and East-West lines (NSEWL).
Train service between Woodlands and Jurong East stations on the NSL and between Queenstown and Gul Circle stations on the EWL was shut down.
SMRT subsequently decided to draw power from another substation, which supplies power to the CCL.
An SMRT staff member and supervisor misread equipment at the substation and wrongly assumed the fault in Tuas had been isolated.
Failure to isolate the fault before drawing power led to a voltage dip at the Buona Vista substation, causing a power trip and a second disruption that affected service between HarbourFront and Serangoon stations on the CCL.

 

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Defective train left cracked rail, damaged power cables in its wake on EWL stretch​

Stretches of the third rail, which supplies power to trains, along the eastbound track were damaged, leaving power cables exposed. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Stretches of the third rail, which supplies power to trains, along the eastbound track were damaged, leaving power cables exposed. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Vanessa Paige Chelvan
Correspondent
Updated

Sep 27, 2024, 10:42 AM

SINGAPORE – A faulty train on its way back to Ulu Pandan Depot after being withdrawn from service left major damage in its wake on Sept 25, halting services on a stretch of the East-West Line (EWL) in a disruption that is expected to last for a few more days.
Working through the night to determine the extent of repairs needed, engineers found a total of 34 rail breaks – such as cracks or chips – on the westbound track between Dover and Clementi MRT stations.
Trains cannot safely operate until the damaged segments are replaced.
The stretch of damaged track is 1.6km long, and over 50 changes of rail would be required to repair the 34 breaks, based on initial calculations. This work was expected to start in the evening on Sept 26.
SMRT said it was aiming to resume full services between Jurong East and Buona Vista by Sept 30.
While the train was returning to the depot on the morning of Sept 25, an axle box on the third of its six carriages dropped onto the tracks near Dover station, causing one bogie, a part of the undercarriage, to come off the running rail.
With one bogie derailed, the train damaged the tracks and equipment on the tracks as it moved towards the depot.

The crippled train put three point machines, used to divert trains onto different tracks, out of operation and dislodged rail fasteners.
One point machine located between Jurong and Clementi MRT stations was so badly damaged that it cannot be salvaged and must be replaced. Stretches of the third rail, which supplies power to trains, along the eastbound track were also damaged, leaving power cables exposed.

Speaking to the media during a visit to the tracks leading to Ulu Pandan Depot late on Sept 26, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said more than 300 engineers and technicians from the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and SMRT have been working over the last 40 hours to conduct checks and repairs on the damaged tracks and equipment.

“As the damage is very extensive, they have to do this carefully, and it requires a lot of time. It is a challenging task,” he said.
More than 30 rail segments – each weighing over a tonne – have to be replaced, said Mr Chee, who had just returned from a work trip in China.

Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat (second from left) visiting the tracks leading to Ulu Pandan Depot late on Sept 26. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
The third rail and power cables also have to be replaced, while the point machines have to be carefully calibrated and aligned, he added.
Mr Chee thanked the staff for their hard work and commuters for their patience and understanding.
“We will do our best to finish the repair works in a safe manner as quickly as possible,” he said.
Engineers had worked overnight to inspect and repair power-supplying and signalling equipment damaged by the derailed bogie.
They also attached a temporary axle box to the train – which had been stuck on a viaduct outside Ulu Pandan Depot – to make sure its wheels were secure.

Engineers then used a hydraulic system to move the wheels of the train back onto the track. Only then could it be pulled to the depot on the morning of Sept 26.
With the train marooned on the viaduct exposed to the elements, engineers were vulnerable to the rain, wind and risk of lightning, and had to pause work for safety reasons. Besides the wet weather on Sept 26, they were also hampered by the limited space to manoeuvre on the tracks.

ST understands that SMRT and LTA have all the supplies they need to complete repairs.
The faulty train is a first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries train that is currently being phased out. A total of 48 such trains – excluding the faulty one – are still in service, plying the North-South Line and EWL.
The EWL disruption affected about 358,000 passengers on Sept 25. An estimated 516,000 had their journeys disrupted on Sept 26.

 

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Major EWL train disruption: Power rail to be fixed by Sept 27 as repairs continue along affected stretch​

More than 300 engineers and technicians from the Land Transport Authority and SMRT have been working round the clock to conduct checks and repairs on the damaged tracks and equipment. PHOTO: LTA/FACEBOOK
Vanessa Paige Chelvan
Correspondent

Sep 28, 2024

SINGAPORE – The third rail, which supplies power to trains, will be restored by the end of Sept 27, rail operator SMRT said, after a faulty train on the East-West Line (EWL) triggered a power trip and damaged tracks and trackside equipment on Sept 25.
Some other equipment damaged by the defective train – including power cables and two point machines, which direct trains onto different tracks – have also been replaced, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said.
“Thankfully, the weather held up today and our teams managed to make significant progress,” LTA said in a video of work being carried out throughout the day on Sept 27. The video was posted on Facebook at about 11pm.
In an earlier update on Facebook, LTA said engineers have “been hard at work replacing the damaged track”. It added: “Due to the broken rails, the engineers had to use mechanical jigs to move the new rails to the location of replacement instead of using engineering vehicles.”
During a visit on Sept 26 to Ulu Pandan Depot, where the faulty train is, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said more than 30 rail segments – each weighing more than a tonne – had to be replaced.
On the morning of Sept 25, a faulty train that had been withdrawn from service and was on its way back to Ulu Pandan Depot caused major damage to tracks and trackside equipment near Clementi and Dover stations.
Engineers found a total of 34 rail breaks – such as cracks or chips – on a 1.6km stretch of the westbound track between Dover and Clementi stations. Trains cannot safely operate on this section of the track until the damaged segments of rail are replaced.

The train also damaged three point machines and dislodged rail fasteners. Stretches of the third rail, which supplies power to trains, along the eastbound track were also damaged, leaving power cables exposed.
“Last night and today, we’ve successfully recovered three point machines and other trackside equipment, all of which have passed functionality checks,” SMRT said in a Facebook post on the afternoon of Sept 27.
There is still no train service between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations.
The disruption affected about 358,000 passengers on Sept 25, an estimated 516,000 on Sept 26 and an estimated 500,000 on Sept 27.
Shuttle trains are operating at 10-minute intervals between Boon Lay and Jurong East stations, and between Queenstown and Buona Vista stations.
SMRT aims to fully restore services on Sept 30.
Until then, free bridging bus services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations are provided. Free regular bus services are also available between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations.
SMRT advised those travelling towards the city centre to take the North-South Line via Jurong East, Woodlands and Bishan; the Thomson-East Coast Line via Woodlands and Caldecott; and the Downtown Line via Botanic Gardens.

Mr Chee said on Sept 26 that more than 300 engineers and technicians from LTA and SMRT have been working round the clock to conduct checks and repairs on the damaged tracks and equipment.
“As the damage is very extensive, they have to do this carefully, and it requires a lot of time. It is a challenging task,” he told the media.

 

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East-West Line disruption​

Train service between Jurong East, Buona Vista won’t resume on Sept 30, expected to restart on Oct 1​

Workers conducting repairs on the MRT train tracks near Nan Hua Primary School at around 5pm on Sept 29. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
David Sun, Correspondent

Oct 01, 2024, 07:28 AM


SINGAPORE - Train services between Jurong East and Buona Vista MRT stations on the East-West Line will remain disrupted on Sept 30, after 12 new cracks were discovered along a stretch of rail damaged by a faulty train.
Rail operator SMRT and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said on Sept 29 that they are working towards restoring train services along the affected four-station stretch on Oct 1, subject to weather conditions and after thorough testing is done for passenger safety.
Stress tests on Sept 28 found 12 cracks that were previously not visible on unreplaced segments of rail.
This means that engineers needed more time on Sept 29 to replace another 10 segments along the westbound track from Clementi to Ulu Pandan Depot, they added in a statement.
After the rail segments are replaced, more stress tests will be done on Sept 30 to “ensure safety and rail integrity before resuming full passenger service”, said LTA and SMRT.

The cracks arose after the rail segments were weakened by the damaged train when it was returning to the depot on Sept 25, they added.
SMRT had earlier aimed to restart services on Sept 30.

So far, engineers and workers have replaced 33 segments of rail on which trains run and damaged stretches of the third rail that supplies power to trains. They have also completed tests on trackside equipment and track point machines that divert trains onto different tracks.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said on Sept 29 that weather permitting, rail replacements were expected to be completed that night, and further tests would continue for most of Sept 30.
“I thank commuters for your kind understanding and patience, as the team does our best to safely resume full train services as soon as possible,” he wrote on Facebook.


Tests in the works include stress tests using locomotives, testing components such as signalling and power systems, as well as endurance tests with passenger trains loaded with sandbags to simulate passengers on board. A track inspection team will be deployed after each test to inspect the rails.
According to the National Environment Agency’s website, thundery showers are expected every day from Sept 30 to Oct 3.
Train services have been disrupted since Sept 25, when the faulty train damaged the tracks near Clementi and Dover stations as it was being withdrawn from service. The disruption is expected to affect 2.1 million passengers as at Sept 29.
The first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries train, which has been in service for more than 35 years, was travelling eastwards when it encountered a fault near Clementi station at about 9am on Sept 25.
It was later turned around near Queenstown station onto the westbound track, bound for Ulu Pandan Depot.


As it was being withdrawn, a defective component on the train’s undercarriage – known as an axle box – dropped onto the tracks near Dover station, and this caused the wheels of the undercarriage to run off the rail.
This wrought extensive damage to the tracks and trackside equipment as it was being taken to the depot.
The damage triggered a power trip that stalled other trains, and crippled services across nine stations between Boon Lay and Queenstown.
Engineers later found 34 rail fractures, such as cracks or chips, with most of them at the time believed to be along 1.6km of tracks between Clementi and Dover stations.
On Sept 29, it was clarified that the fractures were actually across a distance of 2.55km of tracks.
Of the original 34 fractures, 31 were on the 1.6km of tracks between Clementi and Dover stations.
The 12 new cracks spanned 800m just past Clementi station, while the three remaining original fractures were across a distance of 150m beyond that.
The train also damaged three point machines, stretches of the third rail, as well as power cables and rail fasteners.

Since 5pm on Sept 25, shuttle trains have been operating every 10 minutes between Boon Lay and Jurong East stations, and between Queenstown and Buona Vista stations. Free bridging bus services are also available between Jurong East and Buona Vista. There are also free regular bus services between Boon Lay and Queenstown stations.
Free taxi services at the affected stations will continue to be available for students sitting their N-level examination on Sept 30.
The disruption affected about 358,000 passengers on Sept 25, some 516,000 on Sept 26, about 500,000 on Sept 27, 374,000 on Sept 28 and an estimated 362,000 on Sept 29.

 

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Forum: Factor in rail disruption impacts when considering cost-benefit ratio of good transport system​

Sep 30, 2024

The recent MRT train breakdown gives us much food for thought on how we want to shape our entire transport system as the Government puts the emphasis on being car-lite (Train disruption on EWL to last several more days; SMRT aims to restore services on Sept 30, Sept 26).
We have long been told to give up cars and even private-hire vehicles and taxis in favour of public transportation. Premiums for certificates of entitlement are sky-high and developers of new buildings have been told to reduce parking spaces to discourage car ownership.
At the same time, we have been asked to accept reduced duplication in bus and train lines, and even heads of transport and train services have been nuanced in emphasising the balance between over-maintenance and costs.
While financial prudence is important, when it comes to something that is vital to the daily running of our country with severe downstream effects should a breakdown occur, surely we need more options, more reserve capacity and more manpower to keep our overall operational efficiency high.
The long lines for buses and sky-high private-hire fares during train disruptions, even for a short while, are undesirable as the effect is widespread, especially for the masses, as we are being cajoled into becoming a car-lite society. For many, public transport is not just an option but the only one as other options become more unaffordable.
The cost to the economy when a breakdown occurs is high. The anguish and frustration it causes are often not accounted for but need to be considered when we measure the cost-benefits of keeping public transport strong and healthy.

Peter Loon Seng Chee

 

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Forum: Beef up alternative transport options to cope with rail disruptions​

Oct 01, 2024


The recent East-West Line train disruption left many commuters, including myself, with limited options to get home (East-West Line MRT disruption: How a faulty train left a trail of destruction, Sept 27).
It also reminded me of an issue I have found increasingly pertinent: Singapore’s transport system seems to have a distinct lack of alternative options.
During a rail disruption, free bridging bus services are offered between affected stations.
However, these are insufficient to overcome the loss in capacity from MRT trains being out of operation, especially during peak hours.
Lines such as the North-East Line, the only line that serves the densely populated north-east, and the Circle Line, a key line for interchanges, are already crowded even outside peak hours, and past breakdowns on those lines have proven that reinforcement is needed.
The East-West Line going out of order raises another issue, namely that the line’s western section has a lack of nearby alternatives.
The Downtown Line is the only parallel line, and there are few bus routes through the mostly landed estates of Bukit Timah, rendering the Downtown Line a poor substitute for affected commuters until the Cross Island Line connects the two by 2032.

Building more connections between Jurong and the south, such as with the proposed Jurong Region Line extension to Haw Par Villa, should minimise the pain that such breakdowns cause in the future.
Yet, bus routes running parallel to MRT lines have been cut, reducing capacity along those corridors as a whole. It was only public pressure that reversed some of these decisions, such as in the case of bus service 167 in 2023.
This has left commuters with subpar alternatives during an MRT breakdown.
Given these points, I hope that the Land Transport Authority will seriously reconsider its approach to dealing with parallel bus routes, and further develop rail lines to increase rail capacity as soon as possible.

Roderick Foo Sheng Heng

 

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MRT services resume on TEL after delay due to train fault​

Commuters board the train heading in the direction of Bayshore after normal service resumed at Woodlands North MRT station on Oct 1. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

Gabrielle Andres
Correspondent

Oct 02, 2024

SINGAPORE – A train fault caused a delay on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) on Oct 1, with trains moving slower from Woodlands North station towards Lentor station.
In a social media post at 5.05pm, SMRT said the train fault would lead to an additional 10 minutes of travel time.
In a subsequent post at 5.13pm, the operator said a shuttle train service was available between Woodlands North and Woodlands South, as well as between Woodlands South and Lentor.
Commuters could also take a provisory service between Lentor and Bayshore stations, as well as free regular bus services between Woodlands North and Lentor.
At 5.52pm, SMRT updated that train service had fully resumed.
In a Facebook post, SMRT said a train meant for evening peak services had stalled at about 4.45pm, after being launched from Mandai Depot, due to a signalling issue.

“As this occurred during the evening peak hours, there was a delay in the regular passenger service while we rectified the fault,” it said.

SMRT added that train services remained available from Lentor to Bayshore, with normal service resuming progressively from about 5.30pm.
“We are sorry for affecting your evening commute,” said SMRT.
Services at Lentor MRT station appeared to be running normally when The Straits Times visited at about 6.30pm. Trains were arriving in three- to four-minute intervals and few commuters were seen at the station.

Lentor MRT station at about 6.30pm on Oct 1, 2024, following a delay on the Thomson-East Coast Line. ST PHOTO: VANESSA PAIGE CHELVAN
This is the fourth train service disruption in about five weeks, following delays on the North-South Line on Aug 24, the Circle Line on Sept 17 and the East-West Line (EWL) on Sept 25.
Service between the EWL’s Jurong East and Buona Vista stations resumed on Oct 1, after a six-day disruption that affected more than 2.1 million passengers.
It involved a train – which had been in operation for more than 35 years – that encountered a fault near Clementi station on the EWL on the morning of Sept 25. On its way back to the depot, it unexpectedly left a trail of destruction and caused extensive damage to tracks and trackside equipment.
The TEL last saw a service disruption on the morning of July 5, according to SMRT’s X account.
During that incident, trains travelling towards Woodlands North did not stop at Orchard station due to a track fault, and the operator advised an additional travel time of 10 minutes. Service resumed progressively shortly after.
In March 2023, a train fault caused a nearly three-hour delay on the TEL during the evening peak hour. About a month earlier, on Feb 6, a train fault similarly caused delays of around 20 minutes on the MRT line, with SMRT saying trains were moving slower along a 22-station stretch between Woodlands North and Gardens by the Bay.

 

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EWL services resume after delays caused by stalled train near Tiong Bahru MRT station​

SMRT said at 1.14pm that the fault was cleared, and train services were being restored. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Elaine Lee


Oct 10, 2024, 04:46 PM

SINGAPORE – Train commuters on a section of the East-West Line (EWL) were delayed on Oct 10, after a train broke down near Tiong Bahru MRT station.
A first-generation westbound Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI) train had stalled at about 12.30pm, and all passengers got off safely at Outram Park station, SMRT said in a Facebook post on Oct 10.
The operator said at 1.14pm that the fault was cleared, and train services resumed at 1.22pm.
The incident was related to an electrical fault on the train, which has since been moved to a depot, SMRT said.
Earlier, the operator said on Facebook that commuters had to add 25 minutes to their travel time from Outram Park to Queenstown stations. They were also to add 20 minutes when travelling from Queenstown to Bugis stations.
Free regular bus services were provided between the Outram Park and Queenstown stations.
“We are sorry for the inconvenience caused to your commute,” said SMRT.

Affected passengers at Bugis MRT station. ST PHOTO: IAN CHENG
Project manager Norman Goh, 46, who boarded the train at the Outram Park station, said the train stopped abruptly when it was travelling towards Tiong Bahru station.
“Strangely, the train was tilted when it stopped moving,” said Mr Goh, who was with his wheelchair-bound father. He added that the train then travelled back to Outram Park station.
SMRT said on Facebook that the tilt was because the track was on a slope and at a bend towards Tiong Bahru station.

“The train is stable,” the operator added.
Other commuters The Straits Times spoke to said they did not realise that there was a train disruption, but noticed that the trains took longer to arrive at the stations.
One of them, who gave her name only as Ms Farhana, said she was worried about being late for work. She had left her office at lunchtime and had planned to work from home for the rest of the day.
The 24-year-old, who works in the financial services industry, said she waited for about 10 minutes for a train from Outram Park to Tiong Bahru.
Train services on another section of the EWL were disrupted for six days after a faulty train caused severe damage to the tracks and trackside equipment on Sept 25.
The faulty train was also a first-generation KHI train, with the Land Transport Authority saying on the same day that both the authority and SMRT would do a thorough check on those trains overnight, before they were put into service the next day.
The earlier disruption – one of the worst in the 37-year history of Singapore’s MRT system – affected about 2.6 million commuters, including some students who were late for their examinations.

Announcements were made to advise commuters to expect up to 25 minutes of additional travel time. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Student Thahira Ariska said she waited for about 10 minutes for a train towards Outram Park on Oct 10.
The 16-year-old was also affected by the EWL disruption in September. She said she had to take bridging buses between affected stations whenever she needed to head eastwards, and had to leave her home in Boon Lay an hour earlier.
She said of the delays on Oct 10: “It’s a bit disappointing that this is happening, because I thought the train was back to normal.”

 

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Govt says plans ongoing to boost connectivity in the west, after NCMP flags gaps in rail network​

NCMP Leong Mun Wai proposed two ways to boost transport connectivity for residents in the west. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Esther Loi

Oct 16, 2024

SINGAPORE – The six-day train disruption in September has highlighted how dependent residents living in the west are on the East-West Line (EWL), and the lack of alternative rail lines for them to travel to and from central Singapore, said Non-Constituency MP Leong Mun Wai.
In an adjournment motion speech on Oct 15, he proposed two ways to boost transport connectivity for residents in the west. He brought up proposals that the Government was looking at – to connect the upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL) to the Circle Line and Cross Island Line (CRL) – and sought an update on the studies.
Mr Leong also mooted “skip-stop buses” that stop only at high-demand bus stops, and either travel between towns, or connect towns to key transport nodes.
In response, Senior Minister of State for Transport Amy Khor said efforts were ongoing to boost connectivity for these residents, including the upcoming JRL and CRL, and new “express feeder” bus services that directly connect residents to transport nodes and town centres.
She noted that Mr Leong’s suggestions support the plans that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has made to improve transport connectivity in the west.
During his 15-minute speech, Mr Leong said residents in the west travelling to and from their workplaces in central Singapore had no alternative MRT routes to take during the EWL disruption, and had to use bus bridging services or cross-town bus services.
The disruption affected 500,000 out of 2.8 million train journeys daily from Sept 25 to 30.

Mr Leong referenced the LTA’s Land Transport Master Plan 2040, which aims to make Singapore a 45-minute city where people spend no more than 45 minutes to complete nine out of 10 peak-period journeys, and said the recent disruption has raised questions about connectivity in the west.
He noted that the west has dense population centres such as Jurong West, upcoming new towns like Tengah, and major employment hubs in Jurong East and Tuas. “All these residents and jobs need to be better connected to the rest of Singapore.”
Even after the JRL and CRL are built, the EWL would still remain a “major bottleneck” as the JRL connects only to the EWL for eastward travel, he said.

Mr Leong sought an update on a proposed extension to connect the JRL from Pandan Reservoir station to Haw Par Villa station on the Circle Line, which was first mooted in 2015. Feasibility studies are being carried out.
He also brought up an earlier proposal, which the Government is studying, to build an interchange to connect Jurong Town Hall station on the JRL with Jurong Lake District station on the CRL.
Responding to Mr Leong’s point that transport connectivity in the west paled in comparison to other parts of the island, Dr Khor said that with planned expansions to the rail network, eight in 10 households in the west are on track to be within a 10-minute walk of a train station by the 2030s.
These plans include the JRL and CRL, which will serve areas that do not currently have MRT stations nearby, she said.
The CRL will also connect commuters in the west to every radial line in the MRT network, she added.

Dr Khor said Mr Leong’s bus proposal is similar to plans that LTA already has. These include “express feeder” services that skip stops and connect residents from estates farther away to town centres, as part of the Bus Connectivity Enhancement Programme.
Announced in July, the $900 million programme will enhance access to bus services for residents in newer housing estates as well as in new housing projects in mature and newer towns.
Dr Khor also said LTA has been studying the West Coast Extension that will connect the JRL to the Circle Line, in tandem with further developments in the area.
Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat had mentioned this extension earlier on Oct 15, and said LTA was working with relevant planning agencies to assess the demand and the potential timeline for its roll-out.
Dr Khor said plans to improve transport infrastructure will take time.
“I seek the patience and support of Singaporeans and our residents in the west, as we press on with enhancements to our public transport network in the coming years,” she said.

 

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500,000 out of 2.8 million MRT journeys affected daily during East-West Line disruption​

At 3pm on Sept 25, the second and first carriages of the affected train were towed back to the depot. PHOTO: ST FILE

Kok Yufeng
Transport Correspondent

Oct 15, 2024

SINGAPORE – About 500,000 out of 2.8 million train journeys were affected each day during the severe East-West Line (EWL) disruption that crippled services between Jurong East and Buona Vista stations from Sept 25 to Sept 30.
This means the disruption – one of the worst to hit Singapore’s MRT system in its 37-year history – affected more than one out of every six MRT trips taken by commuters each day.
Addressing 31 questions filed by 21 MPs on the incident in a ministerial statement on Oct 15, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat apologised again for the significant inconvenience caused by the disruption.
He told Parliament that the Land Transport Authority (LTA) will mete out penalties should investigations reveal any lapses, and rail operator SMRT will bear the costs of the disruption regardless of the outcome of the probe.
Some details of the incident can be determined only after investigations have been completed, he noted.
“As to the root cause, including why the axle box dropped, as well as learning points to improve our responses and prevent future incidents, these are issues which the investigations will cover,” he added.
Describing the Sept 25 disruption as “a setback”, Mr Chee said Singaporeans are understandably concerned about what it means for the safety, reliability and resilience of the MRT system.

“These are also our priorities,” he said, adding that the incident will not shake the public transport sector’s determination to do better.
“While we do our best to avoid disruptions, incidents may still happen from time to time,” the minister added. “What is important is how we respond to the incidents, and how we learn from them to strengthen our resilience against future disruptions,” he said.
The disruption on Sept 25 began with a first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries train that developed a fault at about 9am while travelling eastward near Clementi station.

There was smoke detected from the train, Mr Chee said, adding that SMRT stopped the faulty train at Clementi station so passengers could alight, before it was withdrawn to Ulu Pandan Depot.
After the train had turned around at Queenstown station and was travelling westward between Dover and Clementi, an axle box came off the bogie of one of the train cars, causing the wheels of the bogie to derail.
However, as the other 11 bogies of the train remained on the rails, the train was able to continue travelling for a few minutes past Clementi, Mr Chee said.
Based on preliminary assessments, this caused damage to 2.55km of track, as well as trackside equipment like power cables and the third rail, which supplies power to trains.
This damage triggered a power trip along parts of the EWL at about 9.25am, causing four other trains that were between Clementi and Buona Vista stations to stall.

Of these four stalled trains, three were at stations where passengers could alight. The fourth train stalled about 40m before the platform at Clementi station, and the 850 passengers on board were guided onto the tracks by SMRT staff to the station platform.
Given the scale of the disruption, Mr Chee said there was some initial confusion on the ground when the incident occurred.
When SMRT staff attempted to restore train service along the affected EWL section, they realised extensive damage had been caused and it would take time to remove the faulty train from the tracks and to carry out repairs, he added.
Mr Chee stressed that commuter and worker safety was the top priority throughout the recovery process.
This was why LTA and SMRT took the necessary time to complete the repairs and conduct rigorous testing before resuming train service on Oct 1, he said.
Across the MRT system, there are multiple layers of safety controls in place, Mr Chee added.
As the regulator, LTA imposes safety standards that are aligned with international best practices. Operators that do not meet these standards will be subject to penalties, and face additional regulatory conditions and monitoring if necessary.

Mr Chee said LTA also imposes maintenance performance standards as part of its rail licensing conditions, and there are audits by independent external assessors.
Responding to questions by Workers’ Party MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) and Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) about predictive maintenance capabilities, he said the rail operators have installed monitoring systems to detect potential defects where feasible, and use special vehicles to scan the tracks to pick up issues.
However, Mr Chee said he would not comment on whether such systems could have detected risks leading up to the disruption on Sept 25, citing the ongoing investigations.
On reliability, he said LTA and the rail operators take this seriously. While significant progress has been made over the past decade, this continues to be a work in progress, he added.
The minister noted how the MRT network has maintained a mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) – a measure of rail reliability – of at least 1 million train-km since 2019, which he said is comparable with the most reliable overseas metros. In contrast, the MRT network here had an MKBF of 67,000 train-km in 2012.
Estimates show that all MRT lines clocked at least 1 million train-km as at end-September 2024, he said.


Mr Chee said that LTA has been working with the rail operators since 2011 to improve their maintenance regimes. LTA has also upgraded signalling and power systems and invested in infrastructure like signalling simulation centres, to improve the operators’ ability to diagnose and remedy different faults.
LTA’s monitoring of MKBF and rail licensing conditions has ensured that the rail operators here invest sufficiently in maintenance to minimise disruptions too, he added.
In his statement, Mr Chee made the point that Singapore’s public transport network, with six MRT lines and a sizeable fleet of about 5,800 public buses, is more resilient and better able to cope with disruptions than before.
The mitigation measures put in place during the six-day EWL disruption allowed most public transport users to continue with their journeys, albeit with additional travelling time, he said.
Noting that the public transport system was able to cope thanks to the efforts by the respective bus operators and staff on the ground, Mr Chee said planned expansions to the rail network over the next decade will further improve resilience.
He cited the upcoming Stage 6 of the Circle Line, which will close the loop by connecting HarbourFront and Marina Bay stations and provide those living in the west with another route to the downtown area.
The Jurong Region Line, which will open in three stages from 2027 to 2029, will improve connectivity in the west of Singapore and offer more alternative interchanges with the North-South and East-West lines at Choa Chu Kang, Boon Lay, and Jurong East stations.

Similarly, Mr Chee said the Cross Island Line, which will open in stages from 2030, will improve connectivity as almost half of the MRT line’s stations will be interchanges, offering more alternative travel routes.
Responding to questions by MPs about the role that public buses could play to improve public transport resilience, he said buses cannot fully replace rail capacity in the event of an MRT disruption.
He noted how a six-car EWL train can carry more than 1,000 passengers, and run at two to three-minute intervals during peak hours at speeds of up to 80kmh.
In contrast, a double-decker bus can carry only up to 120 passengers and typically runs at much lower speeds depending on traffic conditions.
“Hence, even with up to 80 double-deck bridging buses deployed per day, these were unable to match the full capacity of the East-West Line,” Mr Chee added.
However, he said the public bus network still plays a key role in complementing the rail network here.
“That is why, even when we need to rationalise bus services, we retain at least one trunk route that runs parallel to MRT lines,” he added.
Sixteen MPs rose to seek clarifications from the minister, stretching the discussion to about two hours in total.
Their questions ranged from safety measures put in place for workers to the amount spent by SMRT on maintenance, and whether any further steps like special audits were being taken to bolster rail reliability.

About 850 commuters on board a stalled train near Clementi MRT station safely disembarking on the tracks and being guided back to the station platform. PHOTO: SMRT/FACEBOOK
Progress Singapore Party Non-Constituency MPs Leong Mun Wai and Hazel Poa asked why a Committee of Inquiry (COI) was not convened in this instance.
LTA has started its own probe into the EWL disruption, with an advisory panel of local and international experts appointed to review the findings.
Singapore’s Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB), a department of the Ministry of Transport, will also carry out an independent safety investigation.
Mr Leong asked Mr Chee how the recent disruption was different from the severe North-South Line breakdowns in 2011, which prompted then Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to order a COI.
Ms Poa said a COI would allow the public to hear testimony from experts, and she asked Mr Chee if he would consider public hearings for LTA’s probe.
In response, Mr Chee said the context in 2011 was different from today, as the MRT system was less reliable. He also noted that COIs were not convened for other serious rail incidents in the past, like the flooding of MRT tunnels near Bishan station in 2017.
Mr Chee said the investigations by LTA and TSIB into the EWL disruption will be done thoroughly, and the findings will be made public. “That is the commitment that we have made,” he added.
A Ministry of Transport spokesman previously said that LTA, as the rail regulator, has the necessary regulatory powers and technical knowledge to conduct a thorough investigation.

 

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First-generation trains have service life of 38 years, will be replaced by end-2026: Chee Hong Tat​

Work being done on the affected train outside Ulu Pandan Depot on Sept 25. PHOTO: ST FILE
Vanessa Paige Chelvan
Correspondent

Oct 15, 2024


SINGAPORE – The faulty train that triggered a massive six-day disruption on the East-West Line (EWL) in September was three years away from the end of its service life, Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat said in Parliament on Oct 15.
That being said, Mr Chee also pointed out that train reliability depends on several factors, not just age. Trains that remain reliable can continue to be used if they have not exceeded their service life, he added.
Responding to questions from Workers’ Party (WP) MPs Gerald Giam (Aljunied GRC) and Dennis Tan (Hougang), Mr Chee said the “structural integrity of the (first-generation Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI)) trains was assessed by an independent assessor in 2012, who concluded that the trains have a total service life of 38 years”.
The MPs had asked about the maintenance regime of the KHI trains still in service. Forty-eight of such trains – excluding the faulty one – are still in service, plying the North-South Line and EWL. The trains are at least 35 years old.
Mr Chee said in a ministerial statement that these trains are being phased out, with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) planning to “replace all KHI trains with new trains by end-2026, before they reach their 38-year service mark”.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC) asked Mr Chee about striking “the right balance between rail reliability and the cost of maintaining service levels”.
Mr Saktiandi said some comments on social media had referenced a remark made in June 2023 by SMRT chairman Seah Moon Ming, who had said in an interview with The Straits Times that the rail operator – which operates the EWL – did not want “over-maintenance”.

Mr Seah had told ST then that SMRT believes it is close to finding the right balance between rail reliability and the cost of maintaining service levels.
In Parliament, Mr Chee said Mr Seah had told LTA at the time that SMRT had not cut its spending on maintenance.
“His (Mr Seah) main point was about striking a balance between achieving high reliability standards and incurring high maintenance costs to achieve what he described as optimal maintenance,” Mr Chee said.

In 2012, the mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) – a reliability benchmark used for subways globally – for the MRT network was 67,000 train-km. This has increased steadily over the decade, as LTA worked with rail operators to enhance their maintenance regimes, Mr Chee said.
Rail operators SMRT and SBS Transit hit an MKBF target of at least 1 million train-km in 2019. The MKBF across all MRT lines has not dropped below 1 million train-km since then, even when accounting for the EWL disruption, said Mr Chee.
This is comparable to the most reliable overseas metros, he added.
Calling Mr Seah’s approach to maintenance “sensible and balanced”, Mr Chee said: “There are indeed important trade-offs that we need to look at between achieving high reliability standards while keeping the overall maintenance costs sustainable.
“If we were to set (a higher target), we also want to ask, what is the cost incurred by the system as a whole? We should then translate it to cost for commuters, cost for taxpayers to achieve those standards.”
WP MP Louis Chua (Sengkang GRC) asked Mr Chee whether SMRT has been able to meet set performance targets, and what these are. “I also noticed that if you look at the MKBF statistics, it has been consistently lower than that of SBS Transit,” Mr Chua said.

The latest MKBF figures up to end-September 2024 have yet to be published, but Mr Chee said that estimates show that all the MRT lines have achieved the target of at least 1 million train-km.
Lines operated by SMRT had clocked MKBF figures of 2.03 million for EWL, 1.42 million for the North-South Line, and 1.04 million for the Circle Line.
The MKBF statistics for lines operated by SBS are 2.05 million for the North East Line, and 8.11 million for the Downtown Line.
While he acknowledged that there is a difference in MKBF statistics of the rail operators – including between different MRT lines operated by the same company – Mr Chee said each line operates in a different environment.
He added that “each MRT line has its own characteristics, such as their age and whether they are under- or overground. Their systems would also have been commissioned or renewed at different times”.

Mr Chee also noted that maintenance spending of rail operators SMRT and SBS Transit has not changed.
Citing a decade-long $2.6 billion programme to renew the two oldest lines here – the North-South and East-West lines – that was completed in 2023, PAP MP Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio GRC) asked why there were “still some failures despite this spending”.
In response, Mr Chee said that the renewal programme is “not related to the incident that happened in September”. The programme focused on upgrading six core systems, including replacing sleepers that hold the running rail in place, changing the third rail that supplies traction power to trains and upgrading the signalling system.
The September disruption was “due to a fault on the train itself... not caused by a failure of the core systems”, Mr Chee said.

About 850 commuters on board a stalled train near Clementi MRT station safely disembarking on the tracks and being guided back to the station platform. PHOTO: SMRT/FACEBOOK
Nominated MP Ong Hua Han urged the authorities to consider additional training for ground staff so that they can better offer support to more vulnerable commuters, such as persons with disabilities and the elderly, for whom train disruptions are “often chaotic and confusing experiences”.
He also asked whether the Government would consider expanding channels of communication to make sure that as many vulnerable persons and their caregivers are aware of train disruptions before arriving at train stations.
Non-Constituency MP Hazel Poa also raised a suggestion to issue advisories to companies during train disruptions to allow employees to work from home.
Mr Chee welcomed these suggestions, and said the authorities would study them further.